Liquid fuel burner



Nov. 7, 1944. 1 1 BREESE v2,361,911 LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed June 16,l 1941 V l Ig/@yf Mpws;

*i variant form of the device; and

r in the course 'of the specification.

or any suitable material.

,mentes Nev. 7, 1944' uomn rum. summa i James L. Breese, Salitay Fe, N. Mex., assigner to Oil Devices, Santa Fe, N. Mex., a limited partnership of Illinois lApplication June 16, 1941, Serial No. 398,294 A i 1001811218. (cl. 15s-91) My invention relat to an improvement in-lLv: drocarbon burners and has for one purpose the provision of a burner for burning'v liquid hydrocarbon fuels which shall be' simple, economical and eiilcientin operation.

. v 5 Another purpose is the provision of improved means for supplying a burner through asingle 'passage or inlet member with all of the air necessary to support-the primary combustion ofthe fuel.

means for preventing an excess supply of fuel and for cuttingoii. the fuel supply when an excess supply has been delivered.

Another purpose isthe provision of improved 15 means for supplying primary and secondary `air for the combustionof liquid fuel hydrocarbons along a single inlet member.

Other purposes will` appear from. time to time I illustrate may-invention more or lees die- "grammatically in 'the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical axial section; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3` is a section similar to Fig. 2 through a Fig.4isasectio non thelineI-l ofFig. 3.- l Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and Referring to' the drawing, I generally indicates a combustion chamber, herein shown in nthe form of a drum. having abottom or base portion I and, if desired, a bottom body tof ilre brick or the like,

l It will be understood that the burner maybe applied to a wide variety of heaters,- furnaces and the like. I illustrate it; -lloweven in 'connectionl with awater boiler l having a' central iiuepassage embel- Q I may provide 'anysultable secondary air supply I; 1 employ a single air and fuelinlet m having'an outer portion fl, herein shown as verti-l cal, and with an open top ll, or any other suitable means for admitting air. It has a horizontal por-v tion 9, which extends inwardly through the wall l l Another purpose is the provision oi improved able nut or correspondingly screw threaded memr ber formed in or inserted in the wall of the ,member l. Thestem il is aligned with a liquid fuel inlet i1, which is provided with any suitable valve seat Il. Opposed to thevalve surface is onthestem Mp It willsbe. understood that suitable means lmay be employed, not herein shown, forcontrolling the rate of ilow o! liquid fuel along the` passage i'l.' The control may be manual or automatie, 'but' is preferably automatic, and a conventional iloat chambenfor example, may be employed, which ldoes not of itself form part of the present invention. It will be understood that the liquid iuelvflowing along the passage i1 is normally free to pass through the valve passage formed bythe opposed members I 8 and I I. 'Ihe springl il is eiie'ctive to holdthe bucket lever or arm Ii normallyin 20 raised position, and when it is in such raised position the valve is open and free to pass whatever liquid fuel is delivered along the passage I1.

- However, when oil starts to drip in the bucket v and its weight becomes sumcient, it will gravitally move the `bucket I2 against the spring, to the y dottedline position. When it does so move, the

threads of the opposedA members il and li8 are of such pitchthat the result is a complete closure of the valve and termination of. any further -fuel flow until the bucket is again raised. However, the air supply continues, and unless combustion [has ceased, the air is eii'ective to maintain combustion. After the oil is burned out, the bucket rises, opening the valve .|8, Il for a resumption of oil iiow.

In the simplest form of the device, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, all ofthe primary air is supplied through the conduits 1. I Vand I0, and combustion V is maintained at the inner end of the member lil.

' partition 20 receives air from the air .tube la,

of the-'member l, and is herein shown as termi- 45 whichoorresponds to the airtube 'l of Fig. 1.

,mung with a downward elbow. muy aligned withtheiluepassagei. l e Pivoted to the member i is a bucket arm ll',

'- Vhaving at its innerend a bucket l2.`a11sned'below The above described fuelvalve is arranged to communicate with the spacev in the passage 8a below the partition Y2l andV operates in conjunction with the bucket, as above described. Howtne elbow la and adapted to receive any liquidy so' ever. secondary air may besupplied through the fuel wmonurops therefrom..-`Thebuoket arm n its inner pivot member, a. stem Il, having a screw air tube IIA, which communicates-with'the space above thepartition 2l.

I may .employ any suitable means` for -charging this air and'any suitable aperturing tareeoeuporuon is extenomguuoogn anymaso of the upper wan or nieuwe `laf! nd'it practical, however, to employ a distributor having the upwardly extending stem 22, the -head 23, and the side apertures 24 in said head whereby the supply of secondary or additional air is delivered into the space about or above 'the passage 9a.

It will be realized that, whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawing to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

For example, the shape and proportion of the primary and secondary air passages may be widely varied, and a simple aperture or plurality of apertures may be employed, or a variety.

of different shapes of head. It will be understood, also, that, if I wish, I may provide some additional air supply to the combustion chamber I, but under many circumstances it is preferable to deliver all of the air supply through the passages 1, 'Ia or 2|. A

The .use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I provide a heating device in which a liquid fuel, such as liquid hydrocarbon, may be burned. I have illustrated my device in connection with a structure suitable for a hot water heater, but it will be understood that I may apply it to space heaters, furnaces, or the like, or any other heating means.

Basically, I employ an inlet passage of substantially greater capacity than is necessary for the mere supply of a liquid fuel to be, burned. In the form of Fig. 1 I illustrate an air passage of substantial' cross sectional area, which receives air at the open top 8 and delivers the air inwardly along the passage 9. The liquid fuel is admitted along the passage I1, past the valve members I8, I9, and ows inwardlyalong the passage 9. As a substantial length of the passage 9 is subjected to the heat of .combustion Within the member I, the area through which the mixture of primary air and the liquid fuel flows is highly heated. Enough air is admitted to constitute the entire primary supply of air, and the liquid hydrocarbon, in the presence of this primary air, is vaporized and forms, with the primary air, a hydroxylated mixture.

The mixture is supplied at a speed exceeding .that of ame propagation, so that the mixture cannot burn back into the passage 9, with a consequent ydeposit of carbon. It will be understood that I may employ any means for maintaining this relatively high ow of mixture. If in any particular situation natural draft is not sufficient, I may employ a motor-driven fan, or other suitable means not herein shown.

Fuel is supplied at suiiicient Volume to main- .tain a re which will subject the passage member 9 to temperatures sucient to vaporize the liquid fuel and to superheat the nal mixture.

through which the liquid fuel ows. In Figs. 3 and 4 I illustrate a header which distributes the secondary air to the space about the end of the inlet I0, from which the primary mixture escapes. It is advantageous to so deliver the secondary air as to maintain a zone of combusthe like are Well known in the art, I am not indicating any particular means in the present drawing. y

I find it advantageous to provide means for cutting off the fuel supply in the event that an excess supply' of fuel, more thangcan be vaporized, is delivered from the outlet I0. I illustrate, for example, the drip bucket I2 on the arm Il, which is normally held in raised position by the spring I3. If excess liquid fuel is delivered to the bucket I2 in a volume or weight sufficient to depress it, it may then drop to the dotted line position. When it does so drop, it rotates the Valve stem I4, and thence, by the action of the thread I5 and the nut I6, moves the valve member I9 to closed position and reducesl or cuts oi the further supply of fuel. After the fuel in the bucket I2 has been removed or has burned off or has been consumed, then the spring I3 is effective to raise the arm Il and the bucket I2 to the full line position of Fig. 1, and the supply of liquid fuel is resumed. It would be evident that the fuel flow cannot recommence until the bucket has been raised t0 the full line position of Fig. 1, and this cannot happen until either the operator has emptied the bucket or the contents of the bucket have burned off.

In all of the forms herein, oil flows from the line I1 through the valve orifice into the tube 9, and flows out along the tube, which is pitched somewhat downwardly toward the mouth I0. The oil starts in as a liquid after passing the valve I8, and rolls down the lower surface of the tube 9. Before it reaches the orifice I0 it is vaporized by the heat of combustion.

The air passing through the tube 9 is sufficient to completely hydroxylate the mixture, and a dry combustible gas flows downwardly through thel orifice I0 at a velocity greater than that of ame propagation. This velocity is suflicient to prevent name from burning back into the tube.

Any suitable secondary air supply means may be employed for supplying secondary air to the space within' the drum or housing I. In Fig. 1 I illustrate for example a clearance or space in which the lever I I is free to move. It will be understood that in any event secondary air is admitted to the space within the drum `I and that this secondary air is sufficient and effective to maintain final complete combustion of the mixture which iiows from the orifice I0. In Figs. 2 to- 4 I illustrate other specific means for admitting the necessary secondary air for completing combustion.

I claim:

'1. In combination, a closed combustion chamber, a flue extending therefrom, a tubular inlet passage element extending through the wall of the combustion chamber and extending generally horizontally a substantial distance into the chamber, said tubular element being spaced substantially above the bottom of the chamber and havsaid' valve including a valve controlling lever upon lfor, having air inlet means, means for delivering a liquid fuel to the interior of said chamber member, a liquid fuel receiving cup, located in said interior of said chamber member and in the line of delivery of liquid fuel to the interior oi' said chamber member, and means for varying the flow of liquid fuel to the interior of said` chamber member in response to the weight of the liquid fuel in said cup.

9. In combination, in a liquid fuel burner. a mixing and combustion chamber element therefor, having air inlet means, means for delivering a'liquid fuel to the interior of said chamber member, a liquid fuel receiving cup, locatedv in said interior of said chamber member and in'the line oiy delivery of liq'uid fuel to the interior of said chamber .memben and means for varying the ow'of liquid fuel to the interior of said chamber member in response to the' weight of the liquid fuel inA said cup, including valve means responsive to downward movement of said cup.

10;,In combination, in a liquid fuel burner, a mixing andfcombustion chamber element therefor, having air inlet means, means for delivering a liquid fuel to the interior of said chamber member, a liquid fuel receiving cup, located in said interior ,of said chamber member and in the line of delivery of liquid fuel to the interior of said chamber member, and means for varying the iiow of liquid fuel to the interior of said chamber member in response to the weight of the liquid fuel in said cup, including valve means responsive todownward movement of said' cui), and yielding means tending normally to hold said cup at a predetermined upper position, with said valve means in maximum iiow position.

JAMES L. BREESE. 

